Relationships & Family

📍 India

Gujarat passed a UCC Bill in March 2026 and Assam in May 2026, while Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have announced plans. On 13 September 2026, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said NDA-ruled states would introduce a UCC before 2029; Opposition parties have raised objections in some assemblies.

📍 New Delhi, Delhi, India

In a ruling reported in August 2026, the Delhi High Court held that consenting adults in live-in relationships have the right to choose their partner and residence without interference from parents or relatives, and granted a couple police protection. Earlier in 2026 the Allahabad High Court said married persons cannot enter live-in ties without a divorce.

📍 Kerala, India

The Kerala High Court ruled in October 2026 that hiding a live-in relationship and a child with another person from a prospective bride can amount to obtaining consent by 'deceitful means' under Section 69 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The provision deals with sexual intercourse on a false promise or by deceit.

📍 Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

On 7 October 2026 the Karnataka High Court directed family courts and guardianship courts in the state to use 'parenting time' instead of 'visitation', saying no parent is a visitor in a child's life. The observation came while hearing a custody dispute in which a father who had not seen his child for nine years was granted 50% custody.

📍 Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

In October 2026 the Karnataka High Court held that earnings from the sale of shares form part of a husband's income and raised monthly maintenance to Rs 1.2 lakh. Other recent High Court rulings say a spouse capable of earning cannot avoid maintenance by pointing to a lack of job or poor business.

📍 Odisha, India

On 5 October 2026 the Orissa High Court observed that the sanctity of marriage is not served by saving it on paper when the relationship has substantially eroded. Under the Hindu Marriage Act, irretrievable breakdown is not a statutory ground, though the Supreme Court has granted divorce on that basis using Article 142.

📍 India

On 17 September 2026 the Economic Advisory Council to the PM called for ending sterilisation-linked incentives and two-child rules, citing a total fertility rate of about 1.9 to 2.0. In May 2026 Andhra Pradesh's chief minister promised cash incentives for third and fourth children, reflecting differing state concerns.

📍 Tamil Nadu, India

On 19 August 2026 Tamil Nadu announced 365 days of maternity leave for a third child for women government employees, up from 12 weeks. Weeks earlier, on 12 August 2026, the Allahabad High Court ruled that a government employee expecting a fourth child is not entitled to maternity leave.

📍 Kerala, India

Kerala became the first state to present an 'Elderly Budget' in early 2026, and Business Standard commentary in July and August 2026 discussed India's ageing challenge and the need for a caregiving policy. Families are also becoming smaller and more urban, which affects who cares for older relatives.

📍 Punjab and Haryana, India

The Punjab and Haryana High Court recently upheld a custody order, observing that a father's financial strength cannot replace a mother's care for a toddler. A separate recent ruling said being the biological father alone does not justify a habeas corpus petition for custody while a guardianship case is pending.